(Gizmag) - Japan's largest brewery, Asahi, looks set to steal a march on its competition by developing a robotic beer pouring machine for high-volume bars. Connecting to the keg, the machine pours up to six perfect beers at a time, taking around 12 seconds per glass, but more importantly, doing so without specialized labor and with zero wastage.

Wastage is one of the key factors in the profitability of any hospitality outlet, and has been the focus of considerable effort over the last decade as special taps, lines, and temperature and gas regulators have pushed wastage in many high volume outlets below 5 percent. A robotic pouring machine which reduces wastage to close to zero will naturally offer a considerable boost to the bottom line.

Experienced bar staff who can "pull a good beer" in one attempt are also invaluable to a venue, as they increase throughput and reduce wastage at critical times. As anyone who has tried pulling a beer knows, it's not as easy as it looks, and it's all too easy to end up with a glass full of foam, or the tray beneath the glass full of the profits. A robotic machine will reduce the need for experienced bar staff and increase throughput at peak times.

The new Asahi machine was shown for the first time at the International Robotics Expo in Tokyo yesterday.